Part 30

"Earth to Bri, what are you thinking about?" Tracey asked, snapping me back to reality.

"Nothing important; just reading," I lied. I couldn't stop thinking about Dash and Gemma. I knew they were together and I had no right to be angry or hurt because I was the one who moved on first. But I just couldn't see Dash with another girl, even if that girl was the best in all of Burswick Academy.

"Really? Then tell me why haven't you turned the pages of your textbook for the past twenty minutes?" Her eyebrows raised in challenge, daring me to lie to her again.

"That's because I'm reading slowly and carefully." I didn't bother making eye contact with her, simply because Tracey would see the lie on my face.

"Sure you are. I so believe you." Her words, saturated with sarcasm, were enough to make me sigh in defeat and look up at her.

"What do you want?" I snapped.

"I want you to tell me why you are thinking about Dash when you broke up with him?" Tracey questioned.

"Wow, what made you think I'm thinking about him? We broke up. I no longer care who he dates now," I babbled, willing her to believe me.

"I know because I saw you looking at him in the cafeteria the other day," she replied.

"That's because he was behaving weirdly; everybody was looking at him," I defended.

"But not the way you were eyeing him. It was like you wanted him back, Bri. Is that true?" The tone of her voice made me realize that she wouldn't be surprised if I said yes. However, I wanted to pretend like I'd moved on for a few more minutes.

"Is what true?" I feigned ignorance.

Tracey groaned. "You know what. You want him back, don't you?"

"Yeah. Okay. Fine." I slammed my textbook shut. "I want him back. I hate that he is with Gemma. I mean, he told me I was special to him and he just moved on from me in two minutes."

"Oh, somebody's jealous." She grinned, causing me to growl at her.

"Shut up! I'm not jealous. Who would be jealous of Gemma and her perfect everything? I mean, she doesn't even get pimples," I ranted.

"Bri, just because Dash is with Gemma it doesn't mean he likes her," she said.

I looked at her as if she'd grown two heads. "What are you talking about? Why else would Dash be with her? Every guy in Burswick wants Gemma. And Dash is no different."

Tracey shrugged. "I don't think he likes her."

"You're blind," I snapped.

"Am I blind or are you?" She threw at me.

"How can I be blind? Unlike you, I see things for what they are." I glared at my best friend.

"If that were true then you should see that Dash still likes you. I mean, he was so jealous when he saw you with Damien," she replied.

"That's not true. He barely acknowledged our presence." I wanted to believe Tracey with all my heart, but the negative voice in my head made it difficult.

"You don't want to believe me, fine. If you miss him so much then why don't you go to him?" What she was suggesting was easier said than done.

"I can't do that. He is with Gemma now; and I can't ruin their relationship. That won't be fair to her." I told her.

"I think Dash won't think like that. I know he still likes you and wants you back. Maybe he is using Gemma as a rebound," she suggested.

"If he's using her then he is a bigger jerk than I gave him credit for. I hate guys who hurt girls." I crossed my arms in front of my chest, cursing my heart for wanting a guy who didn't care about anybody else except his cousin. I really wanted to tell Tracey about Lauren and how she accidentally killed Janice. And I wanted to talk to Ben as well; to see how he was dealing with his girlfriend's demise. How would he feel if I told him that Janice's death was an accident? And the culprit was none other than his best friend's cousin.

"I don't think he is a jerk." Tracey's statement made me wonder whether she lived on the same planet as I did.

"Not a jerk? Do you even hear yourself? The guy has been torturing me since the start of this year and you are saying he is not a jerk?" I wanted to hit her with a pillow, or a machete.

"He only did that because he liked you, we all know that. And I have a feeling he will start tormenting you more now that you two have broken up," she muttered.

My heart lit up at her words. Though I wanted to hate the fact that there was chance Dash could torment me once again, I couldn't help but be excited about getting some form of attention from him. I really was pathetic. I really was desperate for him. And I hated it. I didn't want to feel this way. Why did he have to be my first love?

"I am going to go the Headmaster if he dared to pull anything on me." I had to hate him. Loving him was not an option anymore.

"You think he'll penalize him? Dash is smart, Bri; he will torment you, but he'll do it in a way that won't get him in trouble," she stated.

"You're making an awfully lot of predictions about Dash tormenting me, why? Did you hear something?" I asked, my eyebrow raised in question.

Tracey giggled and I knew there was something she wanted to tell me. "Well, I did hear something. But I'm not sure how true it is."

"What is it? What did you hear? Tell me right now," I ordered her, my heart pounding with excitement and curiosity.

"Nothing really. I overheard Dash talking to Lauren; what's their deal anyway? They seem awfully close."

"Get to the point, Tracey," I shouted.

"Jeez, okay! Anyways, it's not something to be happy about, but I heard Dash asking Lauren what was the best way to ruin this academic year for you." She told me.

"What the heck?! And you say he still likes me. Girl, are you out of your mind?!" Like breaking my heart wasn't enough, Dash had to ruin my academic year as well. He was going to get me killed by my father. I was already doing terrible in my mid-term exams this year.

"He is talking about you with other people, not Gemma. Which means he likes you." Oh God, my best friend had finally gone crazy. Aliens have abducted her brain and that's why she was talking nonsense.

"You've lost it. You are not my best friend. Tell me, alien, who are you and what have you done to Tracey?" I demanded the freak who was impersonating my best friend.

Tracey rolled her eyes. "Alright fine, I'll admit I'm talking crazy—"

"Of course you are. No sane person talks like that!"

"But, in my defense, it is a pretty good theory," she finished.

"This is terrible. Absolutely terrible. Do you realize how twisted this sounds?" I threw my hands in the air and jumped down from my bed.

"Oh come on! It's not that bad!" She whined.

"You make me sound like a masochist. How is this okay?" I needed a new best friend and fast. This one would ruin my reputation before Dash could even think about getting back together with me.

"I do not." She paused. "Okay, I made you sound like a masochist. But I heard what I heard. And believe me when I say that Dash hasn't gotten over you."

I grabbed the nearest pillow, ready to smack Tracey with it when there was a knock on the door. I cursed whoever it was that dared to interrupt my very first murder with a pillow.

Tracey ran to open the door and when I saw Dash standing there, I swore my heart giggled while my eyes bugged out. What was he doing here? Shouldn't he be cuddling up with Gemma in his expensive car?

"Dash? What are you doing here?" Tracey asked.

He stepped inside our dorm room, not bothering to ask permission, ever the gentleman. As soon as those piercing blue eyes met mine, I swore I stopped breathing. Dash wasn't looking at me like he'd moved on from me, rather, he gazed at me with as if he owned me, and always will.

"W—Why are you here?" I forced myself to ask, tearing my eyes from his arresting gaze.

"Because I want to," he replied, flopping down on my bed.

"Uh Dash? As much as I'm happy to see you, I am curious to know why you're here." Forget pillows, I would throw a brick at her.

"Happy to see him? Tracey, you are my best friend, you're not supposed to be happy in his presence." Maybe I should make Lauren my best friend. She was crazy but she loved her friends.

Yeah, and then she'll kill you.

"I'm here because I want to be," he stated, getting comfortable on my bed.

"Why? Where is your precious Gemma? Won't she be jealous to see you here?" I questioned, feeling conflicted about his presence in my room. On one hand I was shocked and angry at the audacity of this guy, while on the other hand I was happy to see him because I missed him so much.

Just by looking at him made me wish that whatever happened hadn't happened. If I hadn't found out about Dash's involvement in Janice's murder, I never would've broken up with him. Why did he have to help his cousin? Why did he have to betray me like this?

"Gemma is not here. She's gone to visit her designer for her dress," he responded with a smirk.

"So shouldn't you be there with her, to tell her how pretty she looks?" I shot at him.

"I don't need to do that. She along with the whole academy knows that she is gorgeous." His words stung, but they were the truth. Gemma was the prettiest girl in the school and everybody knew that.

"Shouldn't that give you all the more reason to be with her? What if somebody tries to take her from you?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

Dash's eyes narrowed. "They can fucking try. But there is no way I'm letting go of her. She owns my heart after all."

Tears burned my eyes as heart whimpered in pain. So he never loved me? All this time he was in love with Gemma. He was playing with me.

"Then why did it take so long for you to have her? Why waste your time with me?" I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry.

"Who says I was wasting my time with you?" He queried, cocking his head to the side, as if he was looking at me for the first time. What was he talking about? His words confused me. If he loved Gemma then why was he with me? Why did he force me to be his girlfriend?

"I'm not going to bother arguing with you. Get out of my room." I pointed at the door for emphasis.

"No." That one word made me so angry, I nearly allowed the tears to spill.

"Get out right now or I will go to the Headmaster and accuse you of harassing me," I threatened.

Dash chuckled, looking hotter by the minute. "It's cute. Go and tell him. Let's see what he'll do. But there is no way I'm leaving."

"What do you want?!" I shouted, having had enough of this trouble maker.

"I want you." Those words had my jaw dropping.

"Excuse me?!" Did I hear him correctly? Did he just say that he wanted me when he was going out with Gemma?

"You heard me. I want you," he repeated.

"I heard you. But did you forget that I am with Damien now? You have Gemma, you should only want her, not anybody else." I told him. Even though I was hurt and angry that Gemma and Dash were going out, I couldn't hurt Gemma by being with her boyfriend.

"Yeah, that animal. Why did you pick an animal over me?" Dash asked as if this was one of life's greatest mysteries.

How dare he insult Damien.

"That animal didn't betray me, unlike someone," I retorted, ignoring the hardness of his blue eyes.

"You really want another murder to take place in the academy?" He asked, catching me off guard. Where did this come from?

"Wh—What?" Perhaps I heard him wrong.

"I said do you want another murder to take place here, because that is what's going to happen in the next few days," he repeated, taking me by surprise.

"Why? I don't want anybody to die. Who will die?" I questioned. I looked to my side to see what Tracey thought about all this, only to find her absent. What the heck? Where did she go? She was right here. When did she leave?

"Damien will die," he answered.

My eyes widened. He said that so easily. Did the death of another not faze him in the least? "What? Why? How?"

"I'll have him killed." He shrugged as he answered.

"Excuse me?! Are you out of your mind?! You will not hurt him. I won't let you," I stated. Where was Tracey when I needed her?

"The only way you can do that, chocolate chip, is by breaking up with him," he said, leaving me speechless. What in the world was wrong with him?

"And what makes you think I will do that? Damien is my boyfriend now. And I'm not afraid of you," I yelled. Why couldn't anybody hear us?

"If you don't then you'll see his dead body sooner rather than later. And trust me, shortcake, the sight will not be pretty." I wanted to strangle him. I was an idiot to think Dash was a good guy. He was not good. He was practically blackmailing me and wasn't even feeling guilty about it.

"I hate you. If you hurt him, I swear I'll tell everybody who killed Janice," I warned.

Dash stood up and came over to me until he was standing an inch from my body. "Whatever. I've said what I came here to say. If you play smart, you'll break up with him before tomorrow. If not then..." he let the sentence hang, letting me finish it in my mind. He would kill Damien. And as I gazed into those blue eyes, I realized just how he would do that.

And that's when I realized that it wasn't a normal guy I was dealing with. This was Dash Melwin...

The bad boy of Burswick Academy.

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Author's Note.

Hi guys,

Here is another chapter, I hope you all like it.

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Thank you for reading.

Until next time.

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Ciao.