Chapter 27 Fractured Trust
"Mayzie! Hey, Mayzie!"
A voice cut through the noise of the afternoon crowd as Mayzie stepped past the front gates. It had been an exhausting day, and while she was relieved it was over, a knot of anxiety tightened in her chest at the thought of facing Alonso at home.
She turned to see Clyde jogging up to meet her. A smile touched her lips, but it quickly faded when she saw the fresh cuts and dark bruises still marking his face. "Hey, Clyde. How are you feeling?"
"My face still stings like crazy, but I’ll live," he joked, letting out a small chuckle. "Actually, it’s been a great conversation starter all day, so I guess it’s not all bad."
"Has Bella seen you yet?"
He shook his head. "Not yet. She’s meeting me here in a few minutes." He gave her arm a reassuring pat. "Don’t stress about it. Bell isn't the type to hold a grudge. She won't blame you for something someone else did."
Mayzie looked down, her brow furrowed. "Clyde, I really need to apologize to you."
He had been scanning the sidewalk for Bellatrix, but he turned back to her, confused. "Don’t worry about it. I’m the one who stuck my nose where it didn't belong, and I paid the price. That’s on me."
"No, it’s not just that," Mayzie sighed, feeling the weight of her secret. "I ended up having lunch with Dalton today. After everything happened, he made me drop my food, so he bought me a new meal. At first, he just tried to give me money, but one thing led to another, and I ended up sitting with him. I feel like I betrayed you and Bella by being there."
Clyde started to smile, then winced as the cut on his lip pulled open. "Ow," he muttered, covering his mouth. "Look, don't sweat it. If you were stuck, you were stuck. He seems like the kind of guy who just forces people into his plans whether they like it or not. Just... be careful around him."
Mayzie nodded softly. "I will. Thanks, Clyde."
"Hey, you two!" Bellatrix suddenly appeared, bouncing up and grabbing Mayzie's arm. Her cheery expression vanished the moment she looked at Clyde. "Oh my god! What happened to your face?"
"After you left, I went to talk to Mayzie," Clyde began.
"Dalton saw him and lost his temper," Mayzie picked up the story. "He just started attacking him."
Bellatrix's hand flew to her mouth. "No way!"
"Mayzie stepped in and stopped him before it got worse," Clyde added, giving Mayzie another grateful pat on the arm. "It’s just some scrapes and bruises. She even cleaned me up at the nurse's station. I'm okay, really."
"That Dalton!" Bellatrix snapped, her voice rising with anger. "I knew he was trouble! You were just talking! What a total jerk!"
"Bellatrix!" Both Mayzie and Clyde gasped. They weren't used to hearing her use that kind of language.
"Oops, sorry," she muttered, her cheeks turning pink. "But I can’t believe it. And I bet nobody even tried to help!" She glared at the passing students. "A bunch of cowards, a lot of them!"
Clyde noticed something strange. Even though Bellatrix sounded worried about him, she didn't reach out to touch him. Usually, she would have been all over him with a hug or a hand on his shoulder, but she stayed firmly glued to Mayzie's arm.
"Do you want to walk with us to work, Clyde?" Mayzie asked.
"Sure!" Clyde grinned.
Mayzie felt Bellatrix's grip on her arm tighten — a silent sign that her friend wasn't happy about the invitation. Clyde, completely oblivious, squeezed himself between the two girls. He looped his arms through theirs and started leading them toward the shopping district.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Clyde said. "That guy actually apologized to me, Bell. So you don't have to get mad at him. I already forgave him."
Bellatrix looked stunned. "He apologized? Are you serious?"
Mayzie already knew — Dalton had told her during lunch — but it was still a shock to hear that he had actually followed through.
"He doesn't seem like the type to apologize very often, so I figured I would better accept it," Clyde said with a grin, followed by another wince. "Man, these cuts."
"Mayzie!"
A new voice called out, and all three stopped. Alonso was jogging toward them with a bright smile. He skidded to a halt in front of them, his eyes darting briefly to Clyde's arm linked with Mayzie's before looking back at her.
"I came to walk you to work," he said. He tried to sound casual, but Mayzie could hear the hint of jealousy in his tone. "I see you’ve already got company, though."
"This is Clyde, Bellatrix's..." Mayzie hesitated, searching for the right label.
"Boyfriend," Clyde finished for her, immediately letting go of Mayzie's arm. "And you must be Mayzie's boyfriend."
The tension left Alonso's shoulders instantly. "Something like that. We aren't official yet."
Mayzie was caught off guard by his honesty, but she silently agreed. Alonso took her hand, smiling, as the group continued walking. After a few minutes, Alonso slowed his pace, letting Clyde and Bellatrix pull ahead. Once there was a comfortable gap between them, he turned to her.
"I couldn't wait until later to see you. Sorry if I'm being too much," he said softly.
"It’s... it’s okay," she replied, trying to force a smile.
He stopped walking, pulling her to a stop with him. "I know you’re still unsure about us," he said, gesturing between them. "But I’m going to prove that giving me this chance was the right choice. I know it’ll be tough, we’re both working two jobs and going to school, but I’ll spend every free second I have showing you that this is worth it."
Mayzie felt her heart sink. She didn't feel like she deserved this kind of devotion. She didn't love him — not yet, anyway — but she felt a surge of determination. She would try. She would make herself become the person who deserved him.
"Thank you for being so understanding," she whispered.
Alonso looked incredibly relieved. "I'll be as patient as you need me to be." He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss before pulling back.
"Hey! You two!" Clyde shouted from half a block away. "This is a sidewalk, not a hotel room!" Bellatrix giggled beside him.
Mayzie playfully stuck her tongue out at them, then looked at Alonso. He was blushing a deep red. He squeezed her hand firmly. "Come on," he laughed. "We don't want to be late."
· · ─────── · 𓅪 · ─────── · ·
Kelsi giggled as she scrolled through the photos on her digital camera. She turned and sprinted back toward the school, hoping to catch Dalton and the rest of the group. They never left right after the bell rang; instead, they liked to hang around and act like they owned the place while the other students headed home.
Her smile widened when she saw she was right. The four guys were standing under a large tree, watching the crowds leave.
"Hey, guys!" she chirped, running up to them.
Dalton's lip curled in a sneer. If Kelsi wasn’t Gustav's cousin, he would have found a way to get her kicked out of school a long time ago.
"How are you, Dalton?" she asked, stopping in front of him and holding up her camera.
He didn't even look at her. He just gave a short grunt to acknowledge she was there. Kelsi's smile faded into a frown. "I saw you having lunch today. What was that girl doing there? I’m not even allowed to eat with you guys."
"Special circumstances," Gustav told her gently. He didn't want his cousin's feelings to get hurt, even if she was being annoying.
Kelsi ignored him. She was frustrated that Dalton was giving her the cold shoulder. He had been acting this way ever since Arking saved that "charity case" girl the week before.
"That Mayzie is such a slut," Kelsi snapped.
That finally got Dalton's attention. "What did you say?" he growled.
"Kissing you on the stairs, and then…"
Dalton grabbed her arm firmly. "Were you spying on us?"
"I was just walking by!" she grimaced. His grip was tight enough to leave a bruise by morning, but she was used to him being rough.
"Let her go," Gustav ordered.
Dalton let go of her arm. "Stop spying on me and stay out of my business." He turned to walk away.
"Wait! Look at this!" Kelsi held up the camera so he could see the screen.
It was a photo of Mayzie with her arm linked with Clyde's. Bellatrix had been cropped out of the shot. "See? I knew she was dating him."
She clicked on the next photo. "And what about him?"
Dalton stared at a picture of Alonso and Mazyie. "Just friends," he muttered, his voice so low it was almost a whisper. He snatched the camera from her hands and scrolled back to a photo of Mazyie and Alonso holding hands.
"What is it?" Blake asked, leaning over his friend’s shoulder to see.
When Blake saw the screen, he stepped back, worried about how Dalton would react. Dalton stood perfectly still for a long time, his body tense. He looked like he wanted to smash the camera into pieces. Instead, he deleted the photos and handed the camera back.
Kelsi tried to hide her smirk. "I’m sorry, Dalton. You should’ve known girls like her are nothing but trouble."
"It doesn't change anything," Dalton said calmly.
"What?" Kelsi and Blake asked at the same time. Arking and Gustav weren't sure exactly what was on the camera, but they could guess the main idea.
"So, I have to compete with two guys instead of one," Dalton shrugged.
"How can you be so calm?" Kelsi cried. "She’s playing you! She makes you think there’s a chance, then runs around with these other guys. Don't you have any pride?"
"Kelsi, shut up! Don't push him," Arking warned.
"I’m not pushing him!" she snapped back. "I’m telling him the truth! He can’t stay blinded by this crush anymore. She isn't perfect; she’s just a gold digger!"
Arking snorted. "She told him she wanted nothing to do with him. How is she a gold digger?"
"She’s the smart kind," Kelsi argued. "She pretends she doesn't want his money, so he’ll chase her. That way, he’ll always think she loves him and not his bank account. But it’s a lie. Why else would someone that poor turn down someone as rich as Dalton?"
Dalton went quiet though.
"Shut up, Kelsi!" Blake snapped. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"No, she’s right," Dalton said. Everyone turned to him in shock.
"It’s so obvious now that she said it out loud." Dalton nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. "All women are the same. Why should I fight for this girl? It's just going to be a headache. I might as well just date a rich girl and keep my parents happy."
"She’s not like that, Dalton," Arking said, stepping out from under the tree. "There’s no way she’s acting. How could she have known you’d like her? You never even spoke to her. How could she have planned for you to chase her this hard?"
"In the end, money is all they want," Dalton sighed. "She can deny it, but she’ll use me eventually. This 'playing hard to get' thing is just a trick to make sure I trust her longer."
As Dalton started to walk away, Arking and Blake followed him. Kelsi tried to follow too, but Gustav grabbed her arm. He shoved her back, sending her tumbling to the ground.
"Gustav, ow! That hurt," she groaned, propping herself up in her hands.
"That’s my best friend you just messed with," he hissed. "He actually liked her. It was the first time I had seen him care about anyone, and you ruined it. You probably just broke his heart."
"I was just telling the truth!"
"Don't lie to me," Gustav growled. "I don't care if you're a girl; I'll slap you if I have to. I might not like the girl either, but it was his mistake to make. Stay away from him and stay away from us."
Kelsi stood up and brushed off her clothes. She straightened her back and smirked. "I don't have to listen to you. Your mom told my family she kicked you out. You can keep pretending to be a rich kid at school, but we both know you're poorer than Mayzie now. You can't touch me."
Suddenly, Kelsi stumbled back, clutching her stinging cheek. "You hit me!" she gasped.
Gustav crossed his arms. "And I’ll do it again every time I see you near Dalton." He turned his back on her and went to find his friends.
Tears blurred Kelsi's vision as she sank to her knees. "Jerk!" she screamed at his retreating back.