Chapter 124: The Unraveling Illusion

All the injured girls were escorted to the Principal's office, where he expressed his disappointment regarding their behavior.

They were subsequently assigned detention as a consequence and then sent to the Nurse for necessary treatment.

Molly and her friends huddled together, gripped by fear of Nicole, who positioned herself in front of Sharon, assuming a protective stance like a bodyguard.

The following day, Brandon, noticing Sharon's bruised lip and plastered face, approached her in the cafeteria.

Despite her attempts to avoid him, he persistently followed her, strategically maneuvering around her with her tray of food acting as a barrier.

"What happened to you?" Brandon asked, concerned. He had been absent the day of the fight due to an injury sustained during the Friday game.

"Please, just leave me alone," Sharon pleaded, attracting the attention of onlooking students.

"Tell me what happened," he insisted.

"This is your fault. You caused all of this." Sharon bitterly complained.

"How? What did I do?" Brandon questioned, confused as ever.

"How could you act like that at the game? When you have a girlfriend," she accused.

"Girlfriend? What are you talking about? I don't have a girlfriend," Brandon declared.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Sharon exclaimed, frustrated. How could he underestimate her like this?

"I'm telling the truth. I did what I did because I want you to be my girl. There's no one else," he insisted.

"So, you're denying Molly?" Sharon questioned.

"Molly? She's not my girlfriend," Brandon clarified.

"Ohhhhhh," echoed through the hall as students reacted in shock to this revelation.

"I've known her since kindergarten, and that's about it. I never even asked her out," Brandon continued, speaking as if they were the only ones in the hall, oblivious to the surrounding noise.

"I'm not interested in any of that. I don't want any more trouble," Sharon asserted, attempting to walk away.

"Did she do this to you? Did Molly attack you?" he said, stopping her again.

"Leave me alone," she said, slipping past him.

He seized her wrist tightly, captivating the attention of onlookers, who observed the scene as if it were a riveting telenovela.

In a struggle to break free, the tray of food crashed to the floor upon release, creating a loud noise.

Unsteady on her feet, she almost fell, but he swiftly caught her, embracing her sideways, her hands on his arms to steady herself.

"Awww," escaped the lips of most girls, and everyone seemed to relish the spectacle, except for…Nicole, who was seated, waiting for Sharon to join her.

Breaking free from his grasp, Sharon hurriedly fled the hall to her sanctuary, the library.

Brandon observed her departure until she vanished from sight, then stooped down to clean the mess on the floor.

Hungry, Sharon reached the library, glancing at the time and realizing lunch break would soon end. She resigned herself to enduring hunger until she could eat at home.

Not long after she was seated in her favorite corner, Brandon walked up to her with a sandwich which was in a ziplock bag, an apple and a bottle of water.

He placed it in front of her without uttering a word and walked away.

Throughout the week, unable to face the cafeteria after the previous day's drama, Sharon continued having lunch in the library.

Brandon consistently visited, bringing snacks and water, not saying a word, just dropping the food and leaving with guilt written all over his face.

Guilt of what he didn't do or had any control over.

However, when he visited the library the following week to see her, she wasn't in her usual spot as she had concealed herself deeper among the shelves to evade him.

It seemed that was the only way she could escape his persistent gestures. She was unaware of the fate that awaited her behind the dusty shelves.

What she didn't know was how adamant Brandon was, as he searched for her; she couldn't hide the shock on her face when he found her. As he came into her sight, his presence was felt before he even spoke.

"There you are," he said.

As he approached her, a wave of nervousness washed over Brandon, causing his palms to moisten.

He was glad that he found her alone. With shaky steps, he closed the distance, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Shoot," she muttered under her breath.

"I brought lunch for you."

"You have got to stop doing this," she complained.

"I feel bad about what happened," he admitted.

"It's not entirely your fault." she said.

"You didn't deserve that. You shouldn't have had to go through that," he said, edging closer to her.

"It's fine. I'm okay now."

"I'll make Molly apologize to you for what she did," he promised.

Sharon felt a bit uneasy with his proximity, as she had never been that close to a boy before. Although not entirely alone in the library, the surrounding books provided a shield from other people.

"No, that's not necessary. I don't want anything to do with her…or you," Sharon asserted.

"Really?" he replied in his deepest voice, hoping for an impact.

She swallowed nervously, taking a step back. Unfortunately, she found herself trapped between a shelf and his imposing figure.

"I can't date you, Brandon…"

"Why?"

"I've been labeled a home wrecker and all sorts of names by those who think you and Molly are a couple…"

"I told you, we aren't…"

"It doesn't matter," she interrupted. "As long as we're in this school with Molly, we can't be together."

"What if…what if these circumstances weren't present? Would you have gone out with me?" he inquired, bringing his face close to hers, causing her heart to flutter.

"Huh?" she asked, momentarily losing her composure.

How could she think when he was that close to her? How could she possibly concentrate or gather her thoughts?

His handsome face, his soulful hazel eyes and disheveled hair created a captivating allure, made even more irresistible by his consistent kindness towards her.

"If we met outside the school, under different circumstances, would you be mine?" he pressed, bringing his mouth closer to her parted lips.

Slowly, Sharon took a deep breath, her heart leaping in anticipation of what was to come.

His hands stroked the side of her face, the warmth of his touch enveloping her like a soothing hug.

Electricity coursed through their veins, igniting a spark neither of them could deny. A gentle smile curved Brandon's lips, he got her where he wanted her.

He couldn't wait for an answer before he kissed her.