Chapter 19 Chapter: 19
ADDISON
I just froze in place, with Shepherd's strong arms wrapped on my waist, his mouth on mine and his tongue tangled up with mine. Nothing prepared me for this outcome, and by the time I remember to snatch my mouth from his, the damage has already been done.
Panting and trembling with anger, embarrassment and something I couldn't identify. My lips still tingling from his sudden attack, I shove him back and before I could think of the consequences my hand flew.
Hitting him straight on his smug face. “You're a fucking asshole,” I spat, still shaking with anger. “How dare you?”
It was clear he didn't expect me to slap him from the surprise on his face. But being the arrogant narcissistic jerk he was, instead of the rage I expected he just grinned wickedly.
“Babes, don't be mad, the cat is already out of the bag.” He reaches for me again, I stumble back, shaking my head incredulously.
“You're fucking unbelievable.” Then I turned and stormed away.
“Baby don't go, wait my love!” he yelled, his friends roared with laughter as I increased my pace.
God, I hate the asshole. I don't care what my body says. This is fun for him, he's just messing with me because he's bored and I'm the easy target for him.
The asshole has ruined everything, and despite slapping him my anger still didn't dissipate. With the amount of people who have just seen what he did. Shepherd might as well offer me up to the wolves with this shit he just pulled.
I don't doubt that by tomorrow morning the entire school would have heard about it. Just when I was starting to think I'm going to finally have a normal last year of high school, he decided to make me a target.
As I hurried away my eyes accidentally clashed with Angela's, her face lined with jealous rage and a thirst for vengeance, before she turned and walked away with her friends.
I groaned. It's over, my days in Brighton are numbered. I could hear Jess and Lia calling me, but I couldn't find it in me to stop.
Damn you Shepherd! Damn you to hell and back! I was so fucking stupid, thinking he's just going to make it easy for me when clearly he likes messy with me.
What's even worse wasn't the fact that Angela had witnessed everything. It's the fact that it wasn't just anger coursing through my veins, that kiss no matter the intention behind it has left me trembling, hot and confused.
Dumb fucking teenage hormones. That must be it! I just don't understand why Shepherd is the only one who seems to ignite my body in that way.
“Addie! Wait up!” Jess called, running after me through the hallway. She'd followed me back to our dorm.
“Damn you're fast,” she said panting.
I stepped inside our room with her on my heels, and quickly fell into the bathroom before she could say anything.
I stripped out my cheerleading clothes and started the shower, letting the warm water wash away the stress, confusion and anger inside me. My tears of frustration along with it.
By the time I was done washing myself, I felt much better, my thoughts were much clearer. I grab a towel and wrap it around my body before walking into the room.
“Addie, are you okay? Did you cry?” Jess asked, watching me with concern in her eyes.
“I'm fine and I'm not going to cry over that bastard.” I lied, I didn't want to think he got to me. Don't know if they believe though.
“I'm honestly confused. What the hell just happened?” she muttered.
“Which part?” I blurted, anger surging anew.
“The part where you and Shepherd made out in front of everyone!” I almost choked with anger, thinking that's what everyone saw.
“We did not.” I forced myself to say calmly. “That lying jerk twisted everything. He made it seem like we're dating and then had the audacity to shove his tongue down my throat.” I yanked up my sweatpants under the towel angrily.
“Okay, so you weren't really secretly dating?” There was doubt in her eyes.
“Of course not!” I yelled. “I guess even you don't believe me.”
She grabbed my hands. “I do, it's just he sounded so convincing,” I threw my hands up with frustration.
“The asshole knew what he was doing, he doesn't care how this is going to affect me. He just thinks I'm his puppet so he plays mind games with me. He fucking set me up and I fell for it.”
She leaned closer, eyes wide. “What are you going to do about Angela and her crew? Not to mention Christy.”
“Why would they target me?” I asked, though I already knew why. “It's Shepherd who kissed me, not the other way around.”
Jess rolled her eyes and sighed as though I was hopeless. “They didn't target you before because they saw that Shepherd only made you his maid and because you didn't seem like you're enjoying yourself from all his errands but after today….” She grimaced.
“What?” I asked, needing to hear what I'm up against though a part of me really didn't want to know.
“Angela is a crazy spoiled brat, who considers herself the only girlfriend of Shepherd, now you've made yourself an enemy and let me tell you, she's worse than all the groupies combined.”
“I already told her I don't like him. I just wish he would leave me the hell alone.”
“Well, I don't think that will change anything, not after what happened earlier,” she replied sheepishly.
“I'll explain it to her, prove that there's nothing between us,” I muttered, before shoving my hands in my top and dragging it over my body.
“I’m definitely not interested in that conniving asshole.”
She raised a brow. “You keep saying that, but I'm afraid the look on your face after he kissed you says otherwise,”
“I don’t have a look,”I deny, glaring at her.
“Of course not, my mistake.” She is obviously saying it because she can see how upset I really am.
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “This is fucking ridiculous.”
“You think?” Jess lowered her voice. “Just… be careful, okay? Angela's family practically funds the school just like Shepherd. She's going to try and make your life miserable.”
I wanted to tell her that Angela didn’t scare me, that she can go ahead and do whatever the fuck she wants. I don't care.
But that wasn’t true, because I wasn’t just some girl trying to survive Brighton. I was Addie Campbell, daughter to Raymond Campbell, I was a scandal waiting to happen.
Here, I'm powerless and at their mercy, I doubt even the school management can save me.
Not that I would even waste my time going there to report all the bullying. If I was that cowardly I would have reported Shepherd from the get go when he made me wear that degrading shirt.
To say I wasn't worried would be a lie but I told myself that I can handle whatever Angela and that lying asshole throws my way. Because I'm Addison Campbell and I'm no one's victim.
The next morning as I walked down the hallway to my locker. I knew deep inside that something was up. I just didn't know what. There are little groups of students whispering and staring at me.
Guess the gossip has already made it round. The rest of the day dragged painfully slowly. By lunch I was ready for Angela to come confront me so I can rest easy.
The anticipation made me anxious and restless. At the dining hall I sat alone at the scholarship students table. I couldn't find Jess and deduced she's probably avoiding me.
Lia and Emma, who I considered my friends, wouldn't sit at our table, both of them avoiding my eyes, though Emma had mouthed an apology from across the room.
Though a small part of me was disappointed. Honestly, I didn’t blame them or Jess. It was easier to keep their distance than risk becoming a target too.
I'm starting to learn Angela's reach was impressive, terrifying, even. No one had dared challenge her, and the smart ones are the ones who stay away from what's hers.
And everyone knows what she considers hers was none other than Shepherd, even if he'd embarrassed her in front of half the school yesterday by confessing his fake love and kissing me.
And since she couldn’t do anything to him without risking her own status at the school, she's probably going to confront me. After all, I'm the easy target.
I tried to ignore the dread inside me. Pretend everything was okay. But pretending had limits. Soon enough I found out just how right Jess was about her being the queen of Brighton.
I had just come out of the stall in the bathroom and was washing my hands when they came in.
Toilet stalls opened and slammed shut simultaneously as a sudden lull creeped inside the space as everyone hurried to leave the bathroom.
The only sound left was the sound of high heels on the marble floor, as Angela and her little gang began to circle me.
I looked around and suddenly felt my throat tightening.