Chapter 15

  The next couple of days were hard. I continued to ignore Spencer, which was extremely difficult since he wouldn't leave me alone. He didn't stop trying to get me to listen to him, but I managed to tell him to beat it every time.

I also had Nova and Emma at my side throughout all of it. They wouldn't leave me alone, preparing for Spencer or Clarissa to strike at any given time of the days.

  Spencer got my knocked off my feet. In the last week I grew to know and trust a complete stranger. When I thought he would protect me like he said he would, he turned against me and showed me his true self. At first I thought all of this was a joke, that Spencer was just lying to bug me, but no. It did make sense though. I mean how could the supposed bad boy of the school have a soft side? All Spencer is is cold, heartless, and inhuman. He played me and tricked me into thinking of him as good. It was all part of his and Clarissa's plan.

  I now realize that everything went together. Clarissa wanted me to hit her in the face with the stupid volleyball on the first day of school so she could get her supposed revenge. So that both her and Spencer could humiliate me. I also think that Spencer wanted to get revenge on me for beating him at that soccer match when we first meet. But I won't ever truly know why he did it.

Enough with the inner ranting. Time to tell you all what's going on currently in the busy, drama filled Northwood high.

The same thing continued for the last few days. Spencer pleading to me to let him explain, Clarissa being her usual wicked witch of Northwood high-self, and Nova and Emma not leaving my side.

It's now Thursday. Right now it's lunch time.

I pick at my disgusting salad, staying quiet as my friends bicker.

"Chocolate is better than skittles!" Nova states in an obvious tone.

"No way, skittles are better!" Jace counters glaring at her in defence.

"Emma and Jess what do you think is better Chocolate..." Nova begins sounding cheery. "Or skittles." She the spits out like the word skittles just wants to make her vomit.

Emma and I look at each other, silently communicating with our facial expressions.

Why do they always do this? I question to her with a single annoyed expression.

She smirks. Oh, I think you know why.

My eyes go wide at what I think she is meaning.

She gives a big nod of her head.

  Wow. I stay frozen, taking in the new very exciting and surprising information.

  They like each other. Jace and Nova the two best friends who argue over everything like each other. That, I did not expect.

"Dudes, stop silently communicating and tell Jace that chocolate is better!" Nova exclaims snapping her fingers in between Emma and I.

"I think chocolate is better."

  Who do you think said that? Emma? Or me? Well if you guessed either of us two then you are incorrect, sorry.

All four of us snap our heads to the culprit. I already know who it is though, I know their voice.

Spencer.

  I immediately shrink down into my chair, turning my attention back to my salad. Meanwhile Emma, Nova, and Jace all instantly glare at him like he killed a puppy or something. 

  He ignores the murderous glares as if he if completely fine with three people looking like they are ready to kill him.

"First of all dickhead, leave Jess the hell alone." Jace hisses. "And second of all, chocolate is disgusting and pathetic, just like you are right now."

  I almost laugh at the second one. But I can tell Spencer didn't like that to much. I could tell in his eyes that it effected him, but his eyes then light up in another emotion. Anger and rage.

"Oh come on man, you seriously can't be mad just because I like chocolate better than skittles." Spencer pauses for dramatic effect. "You're also mad about what I did to Jessa right? Well that just so happens to be why I'm here. Speaking of which, can I talk to you Jessa?"

He looks over to me, ignoring how Emma, Nova, and Jace are looking at him.

I open my mouth to answer him, but am cut of by all of them.

"NO!!" The three of them all shout at him. Really loud. Like so loud that the whole school turns to look at us. If they weren't already. What I mean by that is that everyone in this school has made it their duty to watch us, more specifically me and Spencer. They all love everything that has been going on recently.

"I was talking to Jessa, thank you very much..." Spencer states sarcastically. How can he not be afraid of them?

  He looks at me expectingly, waiting for me to say yes. Sorry to break it to you, but I'm not in a million years, talking to him.

I shake my head in response. No...

Spencer then gives me the pleading-puppy dog eye look. Not going to work. I turn my eyes away, so that he doesn't see the sadness in them. I'm not talking to him, after all that he has done to me.

"Please talk to me.." He pauses. "Jess."

Now this get's my attention.

I sigh, not knowing what to do. "Can we just not talk right now?" I plead, in just above a whisper.

It's Spencer's turn to sigh now. "We WILL talk later."

I mentally roll my eyes. Yea, right.

Uncomfortable silence dawns upon us.

"Okay... You can leave now." Jace suddenly blurts out to Spencer. He is also currently clenching his fists. Oh yea, the two of them supposedly hate each other's guts.

Spencer turns his attention from me to Jace and his face goes from pleading to full on glaring.

Emma, Nova, and me all share a look. A look that says 'better get them away from each other before one of them ends up in a grave'.

"Hey Jace I just remembered something. Coach Bennett wanted to talk to you before lunch ends." Nova pipes up. She sends me a discreet wink. Oh, you sneaky Nova.

"What? Really?" Jace asks, fumbling for his phone, he looks at the time. "Wow, lunch is gonna end soon, gotta go bye guys."

And he is gone, without even making another glare/glance at Spencer.

Well, at least I didn't cause or be involved in another fight.
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"Hi Lily." I smile hugging my little sister.

It's now after school and I'm currently picking Lily up from school.

  After lunch things were pretty much bland and normal. Spencer tried to talk to me a couple of times though, and Clarissa continued to taunt me in gym. Also, Jace and Nova started to bicker again because Nova lied to Jace about him needing to see Mr. Bennett.

"Hey Jess!" Lily happily exclaims as we walk to the car. "Guess what happened today?"

"What?" I question.

"Sam and me played hide and seek today at lunch and I hide so well that he couldn't even find me!" She says in fits of little adorable giggles. "And so everyone had to look for me, even our my teacher had to come look for me!"

   I snort at the thought of a middle-aged lady running around outside, trying to find one of her students, and all the kids screaming and running around her, trying to find Lily first.

   This reminds me of  when I was in grade 2 I lost my first baby tooth in class, and being so proud of it, I put it on my desk in a tissue like it was my prize possession. Later that day, it was gone. I started crying begging my teacher to find it, and we all spent at least an hour looking for it. But no one found it. So I ran and hide in the janitors closet and cried. Supposedly they spent another hour looking for me. And my teacher, Mrs. Mazareigos, was not pleased.

"Wow, good job!" I reply grinning. I take my right hand off the wheel to turn around and high five her.

She high fives me with her tiny hand. "And Sam was really worried about me, Grace said he was about to cry." Lily giggles.

At least one of the Gold brothers has a heart, I think.

"Wow, he must really care about you, huh?" I tease, wiggling my eyebrows, looking back at her in the car mirror.

I see a faint blush appear on her cheeks. "Of course he does, we all care about each other. Sam, Grace, and I."

Aww, that's too cute.

We arrive home a couple of seconds later.

I'm free. Free from the constant pleading of Spencer, taunting of Clarissa, the stares, and the pity glances.

I make my way right up to my room and collapse onto my bed.

I let my thoughts consume me for a moment.

It has been hard getting up in the morning, these past few days. Having to put on smile, having to take care of my sister all by myself, and to go to a school that makes me miserable. But I do it anyways. I do it because I know my parents would want me to. They would want me to live my life without them, even though they can't live. They would want me to be untroubled. To be happy. They would want me to ignore all the taunting and all the stares. So that's would I do. I will be happy.

I hear footsteps run into my room. Suddenly Lily pops into my view of the ceiling. And jumps right on top of me.

She has a grin on her innocent face but it soon disappears when she sees me face. Do I really look that miserable?

"What's wrong Jess?" Lily asks in her confused little girl voice.

I put on a smile. "Nothing little flower. I was just thinking about how all the other foods must feel about us only eating chicken nuggets and fries."

I then start tickling her in the stomach.

She giggles like crazy.

Lily is also the reason why I have to stay strong.
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We actually didn't have chicken nuggets and fries for supper for once. I made spaghetti and meatballs, one of my other favourites.

I know it's kind of a shocker that I can cook, believe me when I say I've had to practice a lot. A couple of years ago I tried to make my dad a pork chop dinner for his before and let's just say there was more burnt bone of the pork than actual pork.

I now sit at my desk facing the window of my room, doing my homework. Since I can't play soccer right now because it's raining cats and dogs out there. Pretty gloomy night if you ask me.

Out of the blue, there is a tap on my window.

I jump up, alert. I look out the window, but can't see much due to the rain and the growing darkness of the night.

  I go to turn on the light for just outside that lets me see on my tiny porch to the window that is connected to the tree that marks the property boundaries. The porch is all of 4 feet wide and 4 feet long.  It's only meant for one person to stand on it, I don't know why they even made it.

I flick the light on, a little scared at what it might've been.

It was probably just a bird, you weakling, my inner voice huffs.

But that voice was way off.

I freeze at what I see, or for a matter of fact who I see.

He stands drenched in rain, with a determined expression set on his face.

Spencer.

What on earth?

I stand frozen in place staring right back at him. Then I suddenly remember that he is probably freezing right now.

I go outside to join him, since what the heck.

"What are you doing Spencer?" I question furrowing my eyebrows, as the rain starts to drench me completely.

"Telling you the truth."

"I already know the truth. You lied to me, pretend you were my friend, and you were actually with Clarissa-" I begin, but he abruptly cuts me off.

"That is not the truth!" He growls.

I search his eyes to see if he is lying.

"Oh yea, I don't even know what the truth is anymore! I thought the truth was you actually had a heart a week ago, and then this week the truth is all of that was a complete lie! I don't even know anymore!" I shout at him, tears beginning in my eyes. But thankfully it's raining so he will just maybe think it's from the rain or something.

"That was the truth! Everything the first week I meet you! At first I thought you were just like the rest of them here! But I learned that you're different and in a good way." He looks at me with truth and another expression.

"I wanted to get to know you and the more I got to know you the more you grew on me." Spencer adds.

"Then why did you help Clarissa?" I accuse, not knowing what else to say. He could still be lying.

"I made a deal with her, that morning. When I got to school you weren't there yet, but I saw what she did. She put up all the pictures of you, not me. The deal was that if I said what I said she would take the pictures down."

I look up at him with a vulnerable look. I don't know what to say. It does make sense though. How the pictures all just magically disappeared awhile after.

"Please say something." Spencer pleads. He cups my face in his warm hands.

"I don't know what to say..." I whisper to him.

"I'm so sorry I said all of that before, I'm so sorry. I did it to protect you, I thought she would've taken them down immediately but she didn't. I'm incredibly, completely sorry." He pleadingly says. "Please say something."

Spencer searches my eyes. And I search his.

"Why didn't you tell me before." I choke out. A single tear slides down my face.

"Oh kitten don't cry." Spencer soothes me. He gently whips the tear away with his thumb.

But the tears keep coming. I cry for all that has happened.

"Shh, shh. It's okay I'm here now, I'm with you." Spencer whispers.

And just for that I hug him.

My arms wrap around his neck and I feel his warmth.

Spencer immediately hugs me back, moving his arms from my cheeks to my waist.

And even though we only hugged, it felt like I found the missing part of myself.

It was warm and comfortable, it just felt right.

  In one word, it was magnetic. Like positive meets negative, and the two of us are better together then apart.

"I'm with you kitten." He whispers into my ear, his breath tickling me. It made my whole body shiver. A good kind of shiver.
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  That night I went to bed with a smile on my face. A real one.

  We only talked for a few minutes after that, but those few minutes were never forgetting. He continued to apologize and I continued to forgive him. Spencer kept on saying I should get inside, because I will get a cold, but he didn't care that he was even more soaked than I was. He said that 7 times. And yes, I counted.

  That morning I also woke up with a smile on face, but then it turned into a frown. Spencer  was right, I now have a cold.  I wonder if he is sick?

I contemplate on going to school or not. I decide I will, I mean it's not like I'm dying or anything.

I do my usual school routine of showering, getting dressed, eating breakfast etc.

Then after I drop Lily off at school, I head for my own school.

I get to Northwood High right on time and park in my usual spot.

I enter the school, managing to get only a few glances of passing students. It's getting better.

I make my way to my locker, where I see a familiar perky brunette.

"Hi Jess!" Emma greets cheerfully.

"Good morning." I reply, then I feel the urge to sneeze.

I turn my head away from her so that she won't get sick, and sneeze.

She giggles after I sneeze.

I look at her confused.

"You sneeze like a kitten." Emma explains.

My cheeks get red at the sudden realization of something so ironic. Spencer calls me kitten. That couldn't be because I sneeze though.

"I do not!" I deny.

She rolls her eyes. "You do too."  

I huff a cross my arms, then open my locker and grab my things I need for English, then I walk with Emma to class.

"So has Spencer tried to talk to you yet again today?" Emma questions curiously. I can also sense her getting defensive for me.

Oh right, I completely forgot to tell her about last night.

"Okay, so don't get mad yet. I have to tell you the whole the whole thing." I reassure.

She scrunches up her face. "Jess, I swear if you talked to him..." She warns.

"Spencer didn't do anything! He made a deal with Clarissa that if he said what he said, she would take down all the pictures and everything. Spencer was never with Clarissa!" I rush out defensively.

She looks at me weirdly. As if she doesn't believe anything that just came out of my mouth.

"Are you sure? He could just me lying you know..." Emma replies thoughtfully. "Like he did before."

"That's what I thought at first to, but trust me I believe him."

"Well, I don't." With that she walks away from me.

I run to catch up to her.

"Come on Emma, I forgive him. Why can't you?" I plead as I continue to watch extremely fast to stay in pace with her.

"I don't trust him Jess. He hurt you, and what if he does again. I can't see you like that again." Emma explains looking at me with truthfulness.

"Well I trust Spencer. You will too, soon." I reply as we walk into English class.

I notice Spencer and Parker sitting in the back. Thinking of an idea, I grab Emma's wrist and drag her over to the two of them.

She didn't come easy, trust me. I tried to get her over there without making a scene for the few other students already in the class. But we sure did make a scene. It looked like I was a prison guard brining a prisoner to their execution room.

"Hey guys." I greet as I seat down in a desk, with Spencer on my right and Emma on my left.

Parker looks up from his phone.

"Hi Jess." He replies.

Spencer gives a curt nod of acknowledgement then goes back to looking at his own phone. Jeez.

Teenagers and their phones these days, I think to myself. Oh gosh I sound like my grandmother.

"What's got you guys so focused on your phones." I question curiously.

They are never like this when I'm usually around.

"Nothing." They quickly say in perfect unison. Huh, suspicious.

I turn to look at Emma, who must be thinking the same thing as me. Let's see what they are hiding.

Swiftly I grab Spencer's phone from his hands.

I manage to get it and I see what's on the screen.

It's him and Parker texting like right now.

I hear Spencer and Parker fumble to snatch the phone from my hands, and exchange a chorus of swear words. But thankfully, Emma acts as a human shield for me, urging me to quickly read the messages.

I only get to read the most recents ones of the conversation.

So you and Jess huh? This is from Parker. What is he talking about?

Shut up dude. Spencer replied. I can totally picture him saying this.

You finally got to tell her the truth after days of pleading and moping around like a sad puppy. Parker said in response.

Once again shut up dude. I am not a fucking sad puppy. Spencer remarked. I snort.

Sure you weren't bud. You would've been able to talk to her that day if it weren't for her friends.

Well I understand her not talking to me for a day, but I would've been able to talk to her the next day if it weren't for Everwood. He acts like her precious guard dog for heaven's sake. Spencer responds. I can almost picture him growling that.

My eyes go wide at this. Jace's last name is Everwood He was talking about Jace.
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I managed to make it through English.

I pretended as if all was fine, but what I read kept on tapping at the back of my head. It doesn't really bother me that Spencer said that about Jace, I know that they despise each other and everything. But what bothers me is that they hate each other. I know it's none of my business, but I just need to know why.

It's now lunch and I'm currently sitting at Spencer and Parker's table. And much to my amazement so are Nova and Emma. Thankfully Jace has some lacrosse team practice and couldn't join us. I couldn't imagine what Spencer and Jace would've done and said to one another.

"This is stupid." Nova blurts out, glaring at Spencer.

"How so?" I question butting in, even though I know exactly what she's talking about.

"He is playing you again Jess. Spencer is just trying to get you to trust him again so he can hurt you again." She looks at me with anger flashing in her eyes.

"I am not!" Spencer intervenes. "She told you what I did and why I did it, why can't you just believe it."

Suddenly, I feel the urge to sneeze. Oh no, not this again. So far today I have sneeze at least 20 times due to being sick. I also sneezed during one of Mr. Davis's lectures in English and it was so awkward.

"Ah choo!" I sneeze out, trying my best to stay quiet but fail horrible.

Everyone turns to look at me.

Emma starts to giggle. Not this again either.

Nova and Parker start to lightly laugh too.

Spencer just grins at me.

"I knew there was another reason why I called you kitten."

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Hey guys! Okay I'm so exceedingly sorry I have posted in like forever! Please don't be angry!

  I've been so busy with everything lately. I've had a test for practically everyday of the past week, piano, soccer, and other school and family things going on. I know I said in the last chapter that I would post sooner but I didn't  and I'm so sorry, but I promise I actually will this time!

So what did you think of this chapter? Did you expect that to happen? Let me know in the comments! Don't be a silent reader!

I WILL post soon!

Bye for now lovely bookworms,
Ashley🌸