15.

This morning, my brother reminded me that I was very dumb.

And, that’s saying something, because he is dumber. So, you get the scene…dumber calling out the dumbest…

Well, here’s why: after I ran away last day, I didn’t think of the consequences. I, very smartly changed my mobile number, even booked a hotel room, managed to not tell my brother about Isaac and all the shit that went down, (otherwise he would have arrived at Bellwood.) I also managed to hold my tears when I slept at night. Score for me!

But, unfortunately, there’s no solution to the hell called high school. I skipped school on Monday and Tuesday. But, of course my brother got a notification from school about my absence and was starting to get suspicious.

So, I had no choice but to go, with my brother watching my every move like a hawk and all. And, trust me; he could be pretty scary when he wanted to…even more than me. And the thing was, I didn’t want him to pack everything and come to me.

I was doing fine on my own…okay, I was not on my own until now, but, now I would be. And, I had every plans of surviving.

So, here I was, in the corridors of Bellwood High, somehow surviving under my hoodie.

No, it was not Hailey’s hoodie that I wore yesterday. The first thing I did after running away was buy myself two pair of clothes and realizing that I was getting short on cash.

I decided that instead of asking for more money to my brother, I would take up some part time job. Then, I mentally cursed Isaac. This was all happening because of him.

How much load could a teenage girl take on her own?

I sighed at the direction of my thoughts. It was my life we were talking about. Of course, I could never catch a break. But, that didn’t mean I was going to give up.

Especially now, when I was on a mission. Mission of avoiding certain people in this high school.

I didn’t remember whether any of them were in my classes because I had just attended one day of school, but, maybe, just maybe this once, luck would be on my side and I would be able to successfully dodge them.

With that hope, I marched into the first class of the day: Chemistry.

Surprise, surprise, Alex and Blake marched inside just after I took my seat beside a bored looking boy, in the farthest corner of the classroom. Thankfully, they didn’t spot me outright and got busy in talking to someone in the front.

I hung my head low and held a book open in front of my face; trying to blend in the background and not draw any attention, but the idiot sitting next to me had to just ruin it.

“Oh my God! Are you Kris Noodles Mendes?” he asked in amazement, almost announcing it to the whole class.

He may be acting as if I was some celebrity, but I knew the truth. Kids in this school liked to say my name out loud, in order to make fun of it.

I gave him a dry look, “The one and only.”

His eyes widened to the size of saucers, “What did you do to deserve this name?” this time his voice rose a little more.

I cursed under my breath, “Trust me, you don’t want to know. And, listen to me very carefully kid, you better keep your mouth shut after this if you value your life,” I warned him before he could open his mouth again.

The kid took my threat lightly, and started laughing out loud, “Is noodles threatening me?”

Oh God, kids these days were impossible! Where were his manners?

“Crispy?” a voice said above me. No three guesses to know who it was.

I was so done for! All because of a brat who couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

But, I still kept my head down; just in case Alex believed that I was the wrong girl.

“Crispy? Who’s that?” the kid beside me chuckled, “this is the one and only Kris Noodles Mendes!”

Thank you, brat!

I heard Alex inhaling a sharp breath above me. Well, well, now there was no use hiding. This kid deserved a good punishment.

I picked up my notebook and smacked his head with it. This shut him up and he glared at me.

“Jeez, what is wrong with you noodles?” he had the nerve to ask.

“I warned you, kid,” I snarled, getting up to smack him good this time, but, a hand grabbed mine, stopping me in time.

Again, no three guesses to know whose hand it was.

“Move.”

That was not me. It was Alexander, the great. He gave the command to the brat beside me and would you believe what happened next? The brat actually listened to him and scurried away.

I let out a frustrated yell, “Come back here, you brat! How dare you? How dare you be afraid of Alexander, the great and not me?”

“See his face if you want the answer,” the brat yelled over his shoulder.

I turned around to come face to face with a very pissed looking Alex, whose eyes were locked into mine.

Boy, did he look scary! His jaw was ticking dangerously and his face was the definition of calm before storm. His hand was firmly closed around mine, still.

Now, I didn’t blame that brat. This look was enough to scare even the incredible hulk. I am ashamed to admit, that, even I had to gulp after taking in the intensity of anger and anxiety he was radiating.

“Why?”

This was all he asked and this was all it took to feel like I had been sucker punched in the gut.

I closed my eyes when I couldn’t bear the look on his face anymore. I was saved the trouble to say anything when the teacher entered and asked the class to settle down.

“I’ll-um, go sit somewhere else,” I blurted, picking up my books with one hand and hoping Alex would get the signal to release my other hand.

But, boy, was he stubborn.

When he still didn’t let my hand go, I wriggled it in his grip, “Let go of me, Alexander.”

“No, dude, don’t let her get away again,” Blake’s voice came up beside me.

I turned around to see him scraping a chair to my left, effectively blocking my exit. Blake took his seat in that chair while, Alex released my hand now and settled on my right.

What the hell?

I turned to glare at Blake, who grinned at me and gave me a two fingered salute.

“Kris Noodles, please settle down,” the teacher called out to me.

The whole class started snickering at my ridiculous name, while I just rolled my eyes and plopped down between the two devils.

“Listen here, both of you, this is the last time I am tolerating your antics,” I whispered under my breath, to both Alex and Blake, “I think I made it pretty clear that I don’t want you guys poking nose in my matters.”

Yes, it hurt. It hurt to say that. But, this hurt was better than what they would endure in future if they kept on associating with me.

“I think,” Blake started in a mimicking voice, “I made it pretty clear that you are not getting rid of us.”

Alex, on the other hand, ignored the whole thing and asked something else entirely: “Where were you from the last two days?”

What? What was this guy trying to do?

“It’s none of your business,” I breathed, hating myself for that unsteady voice.

“Well, it is, when we spent day and night looking for you and worrying about you,” Blake piped up from my left.

Okay, what was wrong with them? Did they want me to feel bad and cry? Because, if they did, then, it was working…

I felt really bad, and had to actually fist my hands to reign in my emotions.

“Look, guys, don’t do this,” I whispered weakly, “I refuse to drag you in my mess again and I absolutely refuse to-”

“Kris Noodles?” the teacher interrupted me, “stop talking and focus on the lesson.”

Damn him!

Blake patted my hand with a grin, “You were not meant to finish that. Everything happens for a reason.”

I groaned and closed my eyes. Why? Why me?

Needless to say, I was hounded all day in all my classes by these guys. In English, it was Hailey and Cameron, in Math, it was Ashton and Blake (again!); in Physics, it was Millie and Hailey; in Biology, it was Alex and Ashton (this was the worst, because both of them were eerily similar in nature)

Somehow, at the end of the day, I was still sane and was making a rush towards the exit; when someone blocked my path.

This time you get three guesses to determine who it was.

Dun dun dun! The brat from chemistry!

“What do you want?” I asked him, coldly.

He flashed me a smile, “I just wanted to ask if you would like to go with me to Mike’s party, this weekend?”

Was this guy for real?

“Yo! Kris! Where are you running to?” Blake came jogging towards me.

I sighed when Ashton, Millie, Hailey, Cameron and Alexander, the great followed after him.

“Where are you staying?” was the first thing Alex asked me, with no emotions whatsoever in his tone.

“Yes, we were worried about you for these past two days,” Millie chimed in, concernedly.

“You guys need to forget that a Kris Noodles Mendes ever existed in your life, okay?” I told them, bluntly, gathering up all my courage.

If they were shocked or offended, or surprised, they did a good job of hiding it.

Hailey sighed, “Kris, don’t force us to take the hard route and kidnap you and lock you up somewhere and-”

She was cut off when Millie nudged her, casting an apologetic look at me.

I backed away warily, bumping into a hard chest. I turned around to see the brat looking down at me impatiently.

Oh, right! He was still waiting for an answer.

Just how much of an idiot was-wait! An idea formed in my mind in that moment and I turned to face everyone, willing myself to keep my voice and gaze steady.

“Believe it or not, guys. I have a life and a boyfriend,” I said, grabbing the brat’s hand, “as much as I would like to spend time with you all, my boyfriend requires my attention.”

I could see everyone’s eyes narrowing at me, like they didn’t believe my words. The most unsettling thing was Alex’s piercing gaze drilling a hole through my face. I avoided his eyes after that.

“Um, when did this happen?” the brat whispered to me.

I turned to give him a ‘you owe me for exposing me this morning’ look. This shut him up and he shrugged.

“Wait,” Blake spoke up, “I remember that you were practically beating him up this morning.”

“That was just a small disagreement between us,” the brat replied, playing along, then, he turned to me, “right babe?”

Ew. Just ew.

I let out a forced chuckle, “Right.”

“BULLSHIT!” a voice thundered.

I jumped slightly in surprise and actually swallowed when I saw Alex’s face. He walked up to me with a very dreadful expression and pointed a finger at my face, “I don’t believe a single word of yours.”

And, with that, he walked away, slamming the door on his way, leaving my heart reeling with a flurry of emotions.