Chapter 14: 14__Fool to think

Silence fell over the empty hallway as Braden stared at Chris in simple shock.

Green eyes narrowed behind dark-framed glasses. “You seem flustered by my question.”

“Are you…” Braden’s eyes fell closed on a breath of disbelief. “Are you out of your goddamn mind? Are you…?” Chris watched him closely. “Are you trying to insult me?”

He frowned. “No, I was simply asking—”

A hard shove had Chris stumbling back. Clenching his jaw, he held a hand to his aching chest. “That was unnecessary.”

“I’ll do worse,” Braden bit out, his eyes filling with both disgust and rage. “I’ll break your fucking jaw if you don’t watch your mouth, Chris. Don’t get too fucking comfortable. I treat you like a friend, now you think you can insult me however you want? Huh?!”

“It wasn’t an insult.”

“You’re provoking me then? You know damn well she’s the worst thing in my life, you know very well I could lose everything that’s mine because of her! You, of all people, know how much I hate her! It seems like you’re using all the times I opened up to you against me now.”

“It isn’t like that—”

“I’ll remember this,” Braden told him with an icy smile. “For future reference.”

Chris stepped forward. “Braden, there isn’t—”

“Guys?” called a high-pitched voice.

They turned to see a pig-tailed girl twirling the ends of her hair around a finger as she blushed at the sight of two of the most attractive boys in her class. “Mr. Poulet says come to class now.”

With an exhale of frustration, Braden spared Chris one last glare before shoving past him and marching to class.

“Sure is good to have a rich friend,” said Erin, chewing on the straw from her coke bottle.

Phoebe tossed her hair with a cat-like smile. “My lawyer always comes through. He’s like a superhero, isn’t he?”

She giggled girlishly and, although Jackson would usually make fun, he couldn’t help but agree.

“He really is,” he said, sitting cross-legged on the grass. “The Vice looked like he would shit himself.”

“That’s what he gets!!” said Phoebe. “For trying to ruin our Jackie’s future!”

She huffed and he smiled at her. “Thanks, guys. I… didn’t know what to do. It would have gone really wrong if you two hadn’t been there.”

Erin waved a hand. “Oh, I didn’t do much.” She’d nearly bitten Braden’s ear off and that gave her plenty of satisfaction, but she couldn’t mention it for the sake of peace.

If Jackson found out it was Braden and his friends who had done it, he would lose his temper. Erin wouldn’t risk that.

She pursed her lips. She’d make sure she spoke to Braden though. She hated him for pulling that sick prank, but she knew he was capable of way worse and was actually grateful it had only been baby powder in the packet. If he’d used real drugs, everything would’ve become so complicated.

Hesitant gratitude sprouted up in her heart and she allowed it to remain with a grudging purse of her lips. Perhaps her mother was right when she said there was a tiny bit of good in that Braden.

Mild guilt gripped her heart over how she’d bitten him and nearly yanked out his hair. A sigh of shame made her close her eyes. This wouldn’t do. She was far too grown to be engaging in fist fights with him now, it was about time she grew up and started handling things with more class and maturity.

With a nod, she stood and dusted the back of her skirt. “Let’s go to class guys.”

She raised her chin with poise as Phoebe and Jackson stood to gather their stuff. From now on, it would be classy and mature conversations. No fighting, no biting.

“You’ve got to be out of your mind,” he said, his tone the iciest she’d ever heard. “You’ve got to be crazy if you think I helped you in any way.”

Erin held her tuition notes against her chest, staring blankly at Braden.

“I put real coke in there, I have no reason to be lenient on your boyfriend, so stop!” His face contorted with a bizarre emotion. “Stop… thanking me like I did something to help you! If the packet hadn’t been swapped, your boyfriend would be sitting in jail right now for using drugs. Just like I wanted!”

She stared at him, hearing the vague warning at the back of her mind to not lose her temper. Her grip on the notebooks tightened. To think she’d taken a moment after the departure of their tutor to sophisticatedly mention how he hadn’t used a real drug and to also consider apologizing for biting him. To think she’d been stupid enough to think she had to do such a thing for this ungrateful mongrel.

She was the idiot. For thinking that Braden could’ve taken it easy on her, she was the fool. Maturity? She wanted to rip his hair out where he stood!

“Is it so bad…” she started tensely. “…to do something nice? You look like I accused you of murder! So, I was mistaken about you using baby powder instead, is that so bad? Why are you horrified that I would think a single good thing about you?”

“Because I’d rather be the devil in your life,” he said easily, each word crisp and clear. He took a step forward and she eased away, the edge of her desk digging into her back. “I’d rather be the evil thing in your life that you cannot find a way around. You thinking I might be nice to you at all, Erin Moore, is a fucking slap in the face.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “You’re insane. You need help!”

“The only thing I need is you out of my life. Pack your shit and leave, why don’t you? I know it’s for the money, how much do you want? I’ll give you two million dollars to run away from here with your mother. To somewhere Grandpa can’t find you.”

She stared darkly at him for a moment more and then straightened, refusing to cower even if standing tall narrowed the space between them. “I refuse.”

His eyes narrowed. “Five million.”

“You could offer me a hundred million and I’d still refuse. Unlike you, I’m not a hollow shell of evil, I have a heart and soul and I’ve committed myself to helping the Chairman, no amount of money can turn me away from that. Besides…” Her mouth curved in a smirk so bold and uncharacteristic of her that Braden blinked. “I will never pass up the chance to remain the evil in your life. I’ll be here to torture you until you shape up and be the kind of grandson the Chairman deserves. You think you can hurt me, Braden Stone? Do your best. I’ll give as good as I get.”

Silence followed her words as he processed them, his heartbeat growing heavier from what was certainly anger. He hated this girl with every fiber of his being. Grinding his molars, he glared at her, hating how she’d tilted her head back to stare up at him so audaciously. Having her face so close to his was bringing flashbacks of the day they’d accidentally kissed and his heartbeat increased from what was surely nausea.

There was a single knock on the door.

Braden jumped away from Erin, inexplicable fear of being seen so close to her making him seek distance.

The Chairman walked in.

Erin smiled brightly. “Good evening, Mr. Chairman! How was work?”

Julius Stone smiled fondly at her and nodded. “It was wonderful, Erin.”

“Good evening, Grandpa,” Braden said tensely.

The Chairman looked at his grandson. “Yes, Braden, good evening. Classes over?”

“Yes.”

“What are you two still doing here then? Have you eaten?”

Erin nodded, smiling with her whole face in a way that made Braden want to yank her hair. She always acted so cute when his grandfather was around, he was Braden’s grandfather, and he refused to share!

“We’ve eaten,” she said. “We were just discussing a few concepts from tonight’s class.”

The Chairman nodded, pleased. It seemed being in their final year of school was helping both kids mature. They’d done nothing but fight since they were kids, he was pleased to see them talking like civilized humans. “That’s great, I’m proud of you both. Now, there was something I wanted to discuss.”

Erin straightened. “What is it? Is it important?”

“Not really,” said the Chairman. “I wanted to know when either of you plan on spending any money?”

They both blinked.

“Sir?” said Erin.

“I’m only curious, don’t look at me that way. Neither of you has spent a cent.”

Erin glanced at Braden who glared at her and she sighed. “Well… perhaps because we were still getting settled into the new school term, but I, personally, have been planning to spend quite… a lot of money.”

The Chairman was intrigued. “Really? On what?”

She smiled with poorly hidden excitement. “I want to get my driver’s license! I’m going to be taking lessons soon and so I plan to spend some money on that. I also have a pet shelter I will be donating to and volunteering at on some Saturdays, so there’s that too.”

“I see,” said the Chairman, smiling delightfully. Indeed, Erin never let him down. Even her way of spending money was responsible and selfless. What a treasure of a child.

He looked at Braden. “And you, Braden?”

His grandson looked flustered for a moment. “Oh… I don’t really know. There’s nothing I need.”

The Chairman nodded. “Hmm. Alright. You know what? I have a splendid idea.” He smiled at both children. “Why don’t you, Braden, teach Erin how to drive? And then both of you can volunteer at the animal shelter. You both need charity points anyway and you have none, Braden.”

Both of them stared at him in cold shock. Braden blinked like he hoped to wake up from this dream. “W… what?!”